A Mish Ate Review : Circa Espresso

Recommending a cafe or restaurant to a friend can be a completely nerve-racking experience. What happens if they don’t like it? Will we still be friends? Perhaps we have different tastes. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned anything at all! Try recommending a place you havent yet been to. And if that place happens to be Circa Espresso then you can’t go wrong.

After Circa temporarily closed its doors in December last year, the Twitterverse had been going crazy like a kid who has just inhaled an entire family-sized bag of candy. It had already built a great reputation, with loyal customers who constantly sung their praises (which are well deserved I might add) and anticipation was building. When Circa re-opened in January 2012 I had to see what all the hype was about.

Circa Espresso exterior

It’s just after 9am and Ben and I meet two friends for breakfast. It’s a beautiful sunny morning so we decide to sit outside, where I can still smell the aroma of freshly ground coffee floating through the air. We are sitting a bit of a tilt however and the space is quite tight, but after a few shuffles we’re settled in and ready to go.

Circa Espresso interior and menu

Our two friends both order the breakfast wrap with scrambled egg, chilli jam and baby spinach. The wraps are completely jam-packed with perfectly cooked eggs, fresh leafy greens and just the right amount of chilli (so I’m told). Did I mention the size of these babies? If I were to place the halves together, it would exceed the circumference of my head – Enormous! So its safe to say it’s WELL worth the $8.

Breakfast wrap with scrambled egg, chilli jam and baby spinach

The baked eggs starring sujuk, the most succulent of spicy lamb sausages, has officially restored my love for breakfast and is now a close contender for my favourite meal of the day. Using the pan as a serving dish gave it a real rustic appeal, not to mention the balance of flavours was sensational. The lightly toasted sourdough was just the ingredient to wipe up the yolk and oily pan goodness. And for $13 even I know the baked eggs are an absolute steal.

Baked eggs with sujuk, danish feta, tomato and hint of chilli served in the pan

For only $4, Ben ordered the multigrain sourdough toast which was almost cake-like in consistency and was laden with a generous serving of peanut butter… It just oozed off the edges. But if peanut butter isn’t your thing, you can also choose from Hank’s jam, vegemite or nutella.

Sourdough toast with peanut butter

We ordered the house blend coffee however Single Origin, cold drip (extracted for 6-8 hours using Yama iced filtration) as well as the seemingly popular Honey Soaked Chai are also available. For those who enjoy a coffee at home, you can buy the Little Marionette beans (Circa’s house blend) in 250g, 500g and 1kg bags at a reasonable price. The menu describes the beans as light – medium roast; chocolate and caramel overtones, citrus overnotes and best of all they’re created favouring environmentally and farmer friendly green beans

My soy cappuccino

I think the atmosphere and decor really speaks for itself. Recently refurbished featuring both indoor and outdoor seating (which can get a little cramped), Circa Espresso takes you away from the craziness and commotion that is Parramatta and takes you to an urban laneway transformed into a colourful mecca for honest food and rich-flavoured coffee to compliment.

To wrap it all up, Circa Espresso has a funky Melbourne lane-way feel, knowledgable and sociable staff and to top it all off, the value for money here is sensational. When you’re next in Parramatta, escape the craziness of the not-so-glamorous Church Street and stop by to see the guys at Circa, it’s definitely worth your while.

You can find Circa Espresso at 21 Wentworth Street Parramatta and they’re open from Tuesday through to Friday from 7am – 4pm and Saturday to Sunday from 8am – 3pm. For more information, check out their website http://www.circaespresso.com.au. They’re located conveniently close to Parramatta Railway station and there is also paid parking only a few steps away so there’s no excuse not to go!